Guwahati, Dec 18: A Congress worker, identified as Mridul Islam, died on Wednesday following a massive protest in Guwahati against a range of issues.

The protest, organised by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), was met with police action, including tear gas shelling, which led to the incident.

Islam, an advocate by profession, was part of the protest and was exposed to tear gas. “He was rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment but succumbed to his injuries,” confirmed Bedabrata Borah, head of Congress’ media cell to The Assam Tribune.

The protest, part of the nationwide “Raj Bhavan Chalo” demonstration, saw hundreds of Congress members and supporters marching towards the Raj Bhavan at Kharguli.

The protest, part of the nationwide “Raj Bhavan Chalo” demonstration, saw hundreds of Congress members and supporters.

They were voicing opposition to several issues, including the installation of smart meters, the BJP-led government’s refusal to discuss the Manipur issue in the Parliament, corruption allegations against the Adani Group, and the proposed "One Nation, One Election" Bill.

The demonstration began at around 11 am, with protesters carrying microphones, placards, and flags, chanting slogans such as "BJP go back", "Adani, down down", and "Remove smart meters".

As the protesters marched towards the Raj Bhavan, they were stopped by police near the IOCL Water Intake Plant. In an effort to disperse the crowd, police used tear gas, resulting in the death of Miridul Islam.

In the aftermath, several top Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, APCC Chief Bhupen Borah, senior leader Ripun Bora, and others, were taken into custody. Several protesters were reportedly loaded onto buses and taken to an undisclosed police station.

APCC Chief Bhupen Borah condemned the police action, calling it a "blatant display of the police's dadagiri" and vowed that Congress would “uproot the lotus from Assam and India”.

The protest, organised by APCC, was met with police action, including tear gas shelling. 

He also alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had allowed the widespread installation of smart meters in the state for "commission", further claiming that the scale of installation in Assam was unmatched by any other state.

Borah also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, linking him with industrialist Adani, who has faced allegations from US law enforcement.

"The American law enforcement agencies have exposed Adani, but Indian agencies like SEBI and CID have failed to find any fault. Isn’t this surprising?" Borah questioned.

The protest was part of the All India Congress Committee’s call for a nationwide demonstration against the BJP-led Centre’s refusal to address key issues in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament.